Juneteenth became a federal holiday in the U.S., people gathered this weekend at events filled with music, food and fireworks.
Celebrations also included an emphasis on learning about the past and addressing racial disparities. President Joe Biden signed legislation last year making June 19 the nation’s 12th federal holiday.
June 19, 1865, was the day that Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, to order freedom for the enslaved Black people in the state.
It was two months after the Confederacy had surrendered in the Civil War and about 2 1/2 years after the Emancipation Proclamation ended slavery in the Southern states.RELATED: Juneteenth: The significance of the holiday and why it's celebrated and commemoratedThis is the first year Juneteenth is being widely recognized as a federal holiday, which means many offices and businesses will be closed.Here’s a look at what will be open and closed on Monday, June 20, 2022, since the holiday fell on a weekend:Post offices will be closed on Monday, which means mail and packages won’t be delivered by the United States Postal Service.